


You Are Who You Choose to Be

by TearStainedAshes



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: DBH Summer Exchange, Dad Hank, Deviant Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Family Feels, Family Fluff, Feels, Fluff, Gen, Post-Pacifist Best Ending (Detroit: Become Human), fluffy feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-31
Updated: 2019-08-31
Packaged: 2020-10-04 02:57:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20463896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TearStainedAshes/pseuds/TearStainedAshes
Summary: Connor decides it's finally time to remove his LED, so he asks his dad for help.Forthwip-thwip10on tumblr as part of theDBH Summer Exchange.





	You Are Who You Choose to Be

**Author's Note:**

  * For [thwip_thwip10](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thwip_thwip10/gifts).

> This is a gift for [ thwip-thwip10](http://thwip-thwip10.tumblr.com) on tumblr as part of the [ DBH Summer Exchange](http://dbh-summer-exchange.tumblr.com)! They asked for Connor taking out his LED and Hank being a supportive dad. Loosely based on [ this art ](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/54/79/0b/54790b7f92fd316c533da0459f42643d.jpg) (whose original artist I cannot find for the life of me, so if you know whose this is please link me so I can give proper credit.)

Connor straightened his tie and looked at himself in the mirror. He looked as put together as always, and yet he felt… off. He tilted his head to the side and straightened out the lapel of his jacket. That hadn’t been it. He hummed and bit his lip. Maybe it was his tie? Did it clash with the shirt? He turned his head to get a look from a different angle and noticed his LED out of the corner of his eye.

Oh.

That was it.

He looked at the small circle on his temple and sighed. He had been having mixed feelings about his LED for a few weeks now, but he had assumed they would go away after a little while. But now he felt more strongly than ever that he didn’t need it anymore. He’d slowly transitioned away from his CyberLife uniform and began choosing his own clothing, though he still stuck to casual formal wear most of the time. But whenever he wore a sweater or truly casual clothes people definitely noticed. Not that he minded. He sometimes enjoyed the attention if it was for the right reasons. But people staring at his LED? _That_ he didn’t enjoy.

He placed his finger over the circle, covering up the soft light. His artificial skin pulled back at the point of contact, the outline of the LED’s connection blatantly obvious in his chassis. He could just take it out and no one would be the wiser. He’d look totally human, could blend in with the crowd, could go anywhere without anyone judging him for what he was.

_“But that shouldn’t be my only reason for taking it out,”_ he thought to himself. _“I should take it out because I **want** to.”_

He looked back at his reflection in the mirror and dropped his hand, his skin falling back into place, the LED still there. He did want to take it out, didn’t he? He sighed and leaned closer to the mirror, inspecting it. It would be nice to not have to constantly watch his back. But he was also just tired of it. He wanted it off his person, but he didn’t necessarily want it gone. Maybe he could give it to someone? He smiled to himself at the thought. He knew the perfect person to give it to.

He focused on himself in the mirror again and noticed Sumo had entered his room at some point when he had been lost in thought. He smiled and turned around to give him pets and scratches, the old dog panting happily from the attention.

“What do you think, boy?” he asked. “Should I take it out?”

Sumo woofed and wagged his tail.

“Yeah, you’re right. I don’t really need it anymore. I’ll still know I’m an android without it. I know who I am. But it would be nice to be able to walk around without people judging me because I was manufactured and not born.” Sumo barked again as if agreeing with him.

“Alright, I’ll do it.” He grinned and stood up, smoothing down his jacket. “Let’s go find Dad, boy.” Sumo hopped to his feet and scampered out to the kitchen. Connor followed him and smiled at the sight of Hank sitting at the table. He was reading the daily news and sipping on a cup of freshly brewed coffee, a plate with a donut on it sitting off to the side.

“Hey, Dad?”

“Yes, son?” he said without looking away from his reading.

“Can I have your help with something?”

“Sure.” He put down his coffee cup and the tablet and looked over at him. “What do you need?”

“I’d like to take my LED out, but… I’d like you to do it.”

Hank hadn’t been moving but he visibly froze at Connor’s words. Connor bit his lip and wrung his hands in front of himself. Had he said it wrong?

“You want _me_ to do it?” Hank finally asked. Connor breathed a sigh of relief and nodded.

“Yes. I trust you not to hurt me.”

“Why not do it yourself?”

“Because I think the person who’s made me feel the most human deserves to do it.”

“Oh.” He smiled and Connor noticed tears gathering in the man’s eyes. “Alright.” He stood up and approached him. “How would you like to do it?”

“Well, I’d like to be sitting down, just in case.” He tried to smile to reassure Hank he would be alright. “And you’ll need an instrument of some kind to pry it loose.”

“Alright. Go sit on the couch, son. I’ll be right there.” Connor nodded and did as he asked. Sumo sat by his feet, so he leaned over to pet him while he waited for Hank.

“I managed to find a flat-head screwdriver,” Hank said as he came over. “I didn’t want to use anything sharp on you.”

“Thanks, Dad.” He smiled at him as he scratched Sumo behind the ears. “I appreciate it.”

“No problem, son.” He sat next to him and Connor sat up a bit, suddenly nervous. What if it hurt? What if he changed his mind? He could always put it back, he was sure, but still. What if he hated himself without it?

“Hey, relax,” Hank murmured, rubbing his arm soothingly. “I’m not gonna hurt ya, kid.”

“I know,” he whispered. He forced himself to take a breath and let it out slowly. He felt a little better, so he did it again.

“Are you ready?” Hank asked after a moment.

“Ready.” He nodded and pulled the skin away from his LED so Hank could find the edge. Hank gently held the back of Connor’s neck in his other hand and Connor clenched his hands into fists on his lap. Hank held the head of the screwdriver to Connor’s temple and Connor gasped slightly, a hand shooting up to grip Hank’s elbow.

“You’re alright, son,” Hank soothed, his thumb rubbing against the back of his neck. “You’re alright. I’ve got ya.” Connor nodded minutely and squeezed his eyes shut. Hank gently squeezed his neck as he dug the head of the screwdriver under the edge of the LED. Connor opened his left eye, keeping his right one closed in case the screwdriver slipped, his mouth pressed into a thin line.

His LED came off with a soft pop and Connor gasped, his eyes snapping open. It was done. He’d done it.

“There ya go,” Hank murmured gently. He set the screwdriver on the table and bent over to pick up the small disc from the floor before Sumo could eat it. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

“I’m not a child, Dad,” he grumbled, his skin falling back in place.

“I know, but you seemed nervous.” He looked down at the small device and smiled. “But you’re all good now. Wanna go take a look at yourself?”

“I know what I look like.”

“Not without this you don’t.” He held up the disc and Connor sighed. He was sort of right. So he stood up and walked back to his room to inspect himself. Not seeing the LED was strange for sure, but he felt so much better without it. He sighed in relief and smiled at his reflection, his fingers gently rubbing the spot where the little ring had been.

“What do you think?” Hank asked as he came into the room. He stood just behind Connor so they could see each other in the mirror.

“I think it’s great.” He smiled at Hank in the mirror before turning around to hug him. “Thank you so much, Dad. I feel so much better.”

“You’re very welcome, son.” He hugged him back and tightly squeezed him. “I was happy to help. And just… thank you for trusting me to do this.”

“I wanted it to be you,” he whispered. “Thanks for not trying to change my mind about it.”

“You are who you choose to be, Connor.” He smiled and pulled back, squeezing his shoulders. “And I promise to support you no matter what.”

Connor teared up and nodded. He hugged Hank again and tried not to cry, but as soon as Hank’s arms wrapped around him the floodgates opened. He buried his face in his shoulder and cried. Hank held him and rubbed a hand along his back, trying to soothe him.

It took him a few minutes, but he finally settled down. He didn’t let go, but he did pull back a bit to wipe at his eyes.

“Sorry,” he mumbled.

“Don’t apologize, son,” Hank murmured. “It’s fine. This is a big thing for you.”

“It is, yeah,” he agreed. He pulled away fully and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. “Can’t believe I finally did it.”

He caught his breath and lowered his hands. He turned to look at himself in the mirror and smiled so wide it hurt. He felt… free.

He noticed Hank inspecting the LED in the reflection and softly gasped when he remembered what he wanted to do with it.

“Can I… can I hang onto that?” he asked, turning around and pointing to the small disc. “I want to give it to someone.”

“Sure, son.” He placed the device in the palm of his hand, the ring glowing a soft blue despite not being connected to him anymore. He smiled and closed his hand around it.


End file.
